Brent's Place

The First Key to Mastery: Finding Your Life’s Task

Thu, 16 May 2013 19:49:34 -0600

The First Key to Mastery: Finding Your Life’s Task:

In moments when we engage in an activity that corresponds to our deepest inclinations, we might experience a touch of this: We feel as if the words we write or the physical movements we perform come so quickly and easily that they are coming from outside us. We are literally “inspired,” the Latin word meaning something from the outside breathing within us.

At risk of harping on the Space Center too much, I have to share this and say that the place that helped me keep my spark of madness and to respond to my own inner voice to achieve something great and put a dent in the universe.

You want an invoice? We'll give you an invoice.

Thu, 16 May 2013 19:43:33 -0600

Yep, world leaders have been less effective indeed. :) And the invoice ID looks very familiar…

workflowy:

In another amazing feat of technological genius, WorkFlowy now provides invoices for WorkFlowy Pro users. If you’re a paying user, you can visit https://workflowy.com/invoices (you must be logged in) and you’ll see a printable list of invoices for all the charges we’ve ever made to your card.

We know, we know. Millions of people have been waiting for this. World leaders have been less effective without it. You’re welcome. No need flood our inboxes with fan mail.

My TED Talk: The New Literacy of Design

Tue, 14 May 2013 17:59:12 -0600

My TED Talk: The New Literacy of Design:

Hackers have brought the power to make things to the mainstream. All sorts of people are making things, and more people have the ability to get their ideas seen by the masses.

Along the way, they’re learning about design. You can talk about the differences between Times New Roman and Helvetica at a party and people will know what you’re talking about.

Do you realize how huge that is?

Do you realize that wouldn’t have worked 20 years ago? Not even 10.

Without design, people suffer.

Farpoint's first class

Mon, 13 May 2013 16:17:28 -0600

I’m a founding board member of the Space Edventures foundation, and one of our inaugural programs is Farpoint Station - a community center based around experiential learning, including simulated Edventures through space. Part of Farpoint are a comprehensive set of community classes for Jr. High and high school students. These classes cover subjects from nuclear science and rocketry to 3D animation and computer programming. Our first class session started last Saturday with the basics of HTML/CSS and JavaScript. We had a great crop of about 15 students to start with, and each of them published their first web page up to the Internet by the end of the first class. They’re a great group, and we have high hopes for them as they start with these basic building blocks of HTML.

The Productivity Manifesto | Nathan Barry

Wed, 08 May 2013 17:23:56 -0600

The Productivity Manifesto | Nathan Barry:

Quick read with some great insights! Go download it and take the next 25 minutes to explore 11 ways to make your life better. I think you’ll enjoy it.

Parsley.js is amazing

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 12:38:38 -0600

Parsley.js is amazing:

Parsley is a dead simple javascript form validation, powerful and UX aware

Parsely.js has single handedly saved me countless hours of programming today, and made my finished product 10x better. If you do any kind of browser-side form validation, you should be using Parsely.

Apple: "Surprises" coming this fall to product line

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 12:24:51 -0600

SALT LAKE CITY — Apple’s Q2 earnings call announced increased revenues, reduced margins, and increases in stock buybacks and dividends. Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, also hinted at new products and launch timelines through 2014.

“Surprises” coming through 2014

Cook stated in the second quarter earnings call that consumers can expect new products in “the fall and all of 2014.” While new models of the iPhone and iPad are expected as part of Apple’s typical annual product updates, the ever-rumored iTV product, the iWatch and other products may make their debut in this time frame.

Cook specifically addressed issues raised by Wall Street analysts, stating, “We know (we) didn’t meet everyone’s expectations. … The most important objective for Apple is developing innovative products.”

While Apple’s stock price and potential has been under increasing scrutiny since it peaked at $700 per share last fall, Cook also stated that Apple’s product pipeline, powerful market position and ecosystem, and the potential for introducing new product categories all keep Apple on solid footing as it moves forward.

Apple announces conference

Apple’s annual Worldwide Developer Conference will be held at San Francisco’s Moscone Center June 10-14. WWDC is always a landmark event for Apple enthusiasts and developers, and has historically been a major event for new product and software releases. Tickets for the event go on sale on April 25 at 10 a.m. PDT. Historically, the tickets sell out within minutes.

Despite expectations that no new products will be launched until this fall, Apple issued a press release on Wednesday with details about schedule, tickets and an interesting quote from Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing, who said, “We can’t wait to get new versions of iOS and OS X into their hands at WWDC.” His comments in the press release may be a strong indication that iOS 7.0 and Mac OS X 10.9 may be released either publicly or as beta versions to developers.

Q2 results beat forecasts

Apple released its second quarter earnings results this week, announcing it brought in $43.6 billion in revenues, outpacing its own high-end guidance of $42 billion. Revenues were primarily driven by sales of 19.5 million iPads and 37.4 million iPhones, with software and iTunes content sales increasing to $4.1 billion — a 30 percent increase from last year.

Macintosh sales declined 2 percent from last year, contributing $5.4 billion to the bottom line. Apple’s sales figures mirror overall industry trends as consumers and businesses continue to shift toward preferring mobile devices. Despite this shift, the decline in Mac sales this quarter is a fraction of the overall decline in PC sales, which declined 14 percent in first quarter 2013.

Credit: MacWorld

Apple projects the third quarter will see an overall decline across all revenue categories, expecting revenues between $33.5 billion and $35.5 billion, and gross margin between 36 and 37 percent. These forecasted declines are strong indicators that Apple will not be releasing new products until at least this fall.

Apple increases dividends, stock buybacks

Apple also announced during its second quarter earnings report that it is doubling its return of capital program to $100 billion, increasing its stock buyback to $60 billion and increasing dividends by 15 percent to $3.05/share. Apple was also quick to note that its share buyback program is the largest of any company in history.

In an effort to optimize its capital structure, Apple announced that it will finance its dividend and stock buyback programs by issuing bonds, avoiding repatriating its foreign cash reserves and subsequent tax consequences. Following the announcement, Standard & Poors gave this new bond issue a AA+ rating — the same rating as the United States Government. This will be Apple’s first entry into issuing bonds, prompting Businessweek to dub the bonds as “iBonds.”

This article originally appeared on KSL.com’s Tech & Gadget’s Section.

CoRD: Remote Desktop for Mac OS X

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 12:23:03 -0600

CoRD: Remote Desktop for Mac OS X:

Pretty Nifty: A slick replacement to Microsoft Remote Desktop Connection. Connect to windows machines remotely with a far better interface. It even supports SOCKS proxies (which is exactly what I needed this morning).

Apple Rumor Roundup - April 11, 2013

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 12:13:54 -0600

[This article initially posted on KSL.com]

SALT LAKE CITY — Apple is quietly preparing its devices for gigabit Wi-Fi in advance of new iPads and mobile devices, while possibly dropping Samsung as its partner in developing its next-generation A7 processor.

T-Mobile trade-in program offers free iPhone 5 to switch carriers

Following T-Mobile’s recent announcement that it will begin selling the iPhone 5 on April 12, T-Mobile is now accepting device trade-ins for existing iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S customers. Customers who trade in their existing devices will not pay the $99 down payment on a new iPhone 5, and are eligible for a credit to their account up to $120, depending on the value of the device being traded in.

Although the iPhone 5 will not be available for purchase through T-Mobile until April 12, customers interested in the deal can pre-order an iPhone 5 immediately, and existing customers get the benefit of a device trade-in to offset the cost of the new handset, all without being locked in to a service contract.

Rumor: Apple dropping Samsung for new A7 chip development

The Korea Times reports that Samsung’s contract to develop Apple’s next-generation iOS processors will not be renewed and that Apple is instead partnering with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC). According to an executive at a Samsung partner in Korea, TSMC is reportedly “ordering its contractors to supply equipment to produce Apple’s next processors using a finer 20-nanometer level processing technology.” This new processor is expected to arrive in Apple products in 2014.

Despite being fierce competitors in the mobile space, Samsung has produced processors and other components for Apple products for several years. According to MacRumors, Samsung hopes its own handsets will fill the gap left by Apple. Although demand for Samsung phones and tablets is constantly growing, some production lines may be shut down if Apple does take its business elsewhere.

Next-generation Macs will support gigabit Wi-Fi

9to5Mac recently discovered a reference to the next-generation, high-speed wireless standard 802.11ac in OS X 10.8.4 beta. This latest beta release was recently released to Apple’s developer community, and 9to5Mac quickly explored and discovered a reference to 802.11ac in the system software. Although no Apple hardware supports 802.11ac yet, this discovery strongly suggests that Apple is preparing to update its notebook and desktop lines with new wireless support.

The new wireless standard, dubbed “gigabit Wi-Fi,” provides network speeds approaching 1.3 Gbit/sec and will help pave the way for more sophisticated and demanding mobile and network applications. Most notebooks, tablets, smartphones and other wireless-enabled technology support 801.11n, which offers speeds approaching 600 Mbit/sec. This new standard effectively doubles possible network speeds.

Rumor: iPad 5 design inspired by iPad Mini, coming fall 2013?

French site Nowhereelse.fr has released photos of what it says is the front case of the upcoming “5th Generation” iPad. The photos show that this new iPad design is largely inspired by the iPad Mini, sporting narrower bezels on the sides of the frame, which contrasts with the current iPad uniform bezel widths. These photos support other rumors, indicating that the next-generation iPad will be, unsurprisingly, thinner, lighter, faster and sport an updated design.

These photos come on the heels of rumors by DigiTimes reporting that production on the new iPad is slated to begin this summer with a targeted release for fall 2013. DigiTimes is not famous for its Apple rumor track record, and other news sources say that the next generation iPad may arrive as early as this month. Apple’s recent release history has been highly unpredictable, with the third-generation iPad released March 2012 and the fourth-generation model released in October 2012 in conjunction with the new iPad Mini. In February, Apple updated the iPad again, adding a 128-gigabyte model to its lineup.

To Succeed in Work and Life, Be Mr. T

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 14:02:07 -0600

To Succeed in Work and Life, Be Mr. T:

We need more men like Mr. T

Review: H&R Block Premium and Business

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 10:07:00 -0600

[The following is an Amazon review I submitted for H&R Block Home Premium and Business, 2012. I have a hobby of composing overdramatic reviews, and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed its composition.]

Rarely in life does one encounter a software product as moving as this. In the same way that the first viewers of the Mona Lisa must have wept at the serene beauty of da Vinci’s most famous work, I too was profoundly moved by the ease and simplicity of H&R Block’s tax software. Gone were the papercuts, the missing forms, the uncertainty that you actually did your taxes correctly. Gone was an expensive tax accountant, whom I would be paying simply to fill in bubbles and read my financial statements for me. Gone were the headaches, the issues, the discussions to understand mind-bending tax code. Even when I was uncertain about what the forms wanted, there was H&R Block’s helpful assistance on the side - prompting me to click on the very questions I had in mind, and leading me to rather succinct and straightforward answers that would have otherwise rendered myself, a full grown man, to tears of of despair, searching for a way out from the deepest pits of all 16,875 pages of the US tax code. Indeed, this software was a boon, a revelation, and a vision; a shaft of light piercing the darkest, most complex portions of my meager partnership returns, and yielding illumination.

One does not simply buy tax software from H&R Block - The product behind this price tag is Hope.

Apple Rumor Roundup March 28, 2013

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 12:43:00 -0600

SALT LAKE CITY — Apple continues to expand its reach with a T-Mobile partnership, new data centers, a rumored landmark “Ultra HD” TV and more.

Rumor: Apple working on 4K ‘Ultra HD’ TV for late 2013/early 2014?

Digitimes is powering up the rumor mill again, this time with another report on the ever-rumored “iTV” — an Apple-branded television set to replace or augment the AppleTV product. Such a device would reportedly be unique from traditional TVs and other “smart” TVs on the market by implementing sport motion and voice input features.

This particular report is unique to past rumors of the iTV in that the proposed product would sport a new “4K Ultra HD” screen — a display with 3840 x 2160 resolution and 8.3 megapixels. While such a screen would provide an incredible viewing experience, the high resolution content necessary to provide such an experience is very hard to find.

Most HD content is at a 1920 x 1080 resolution, which is half the resolution of a 4K display. Until more content is created at these higher resolutions, any 4K screen — including the ever-rumored iTV — would just be a very high-end (and more expensive) HD TV.

New data center opens in Reno

According to a report by AppleInsider, Apple is putting the finishing touches on a new smaller data center facility near Reno, Nev. Planted on 345 acres of land, the facility has plenty of room for growth as Apple continues to expand digital service offerings via iTunes, the App Store, iCloud, and more. According to the report, this first phase of the project may be an experiment to test and help plan future expansion at the site, ensuring that power, water and network connectivity are able to support what could be an enormous facility.

Given the size of the property, it is very likely that Apple will build solar fields to power this and future data centers in the area,much like its facility in Maiden, N.C. Another data center site is also in development in Prineville, Ore., underscoring Apple’s interest in providing a solid foundation for current and future data services.

Apple acquires WifiSLAM for $20M

From a report by the Wall Street Journal, Apple has acquired the indoor location positioning company WifiSLAM for approximately $20 million. WifiSLAM’s technology enables mobile apps to pinpoint user location while in a building and without GPS. The technology measures Wi-Fi signal strength to determine the user’s location within a room.

While acquisitions are common in the technology industry, this particular acquisition may be a move by Apple to bolster its position against rival Google. Apple’s own Maps application has been slammed with poor user reviews and complaints about inaccuracies, and WifiSLAM’s technology could help Apple improve indoor mapping products for consumers, as well as unlock opportunities for Apple developers to create new and engaging retail and social networking apps.

Apple ID now supports 2-step verification

Finally, Apple has added two-factor authentication to its Apple ID product as an option to improve customer account security. Consumers use Apple ID any time they make a purchase on iTunes, the App Store and to support other services like Game Center and iCloud synchronization. This update now enables security-conscious users to require their user name, password and a code generated by their phone or another iOS device in order to access their account.

In other words, two-factor authentication means that to log in, users must provide something they know (a password) and something they have (a unique code from their phone). Codes generated by the user’s device are random and are valid once. While some view this extra security feature as an inconvenience, the extra precaution can make the difference between protecting and losing your account and personal information. The feature is completely optional and is not required by Apple to open or maintain an account.

Two-factor authentication has been available to users of Facebook, Google and other services for several years. Apple’s adoption of the security feature will help consumers keep their personal information safe from would-be identity thieves and hackers, including protecting credit cards linked to iTunes accounts. Apple has created a support page to assist users in enabling this feature.

Unlocked iPhone 5 debuts on T-Mobile in April

T-Mobile made waves at its “Uncarrier” branding event on March 26 when it announced that the iPhone is coming to its customers next month. According to AppleInsider, T-Mobile is setting itself apart from AT&T, Verizon and Sprint — which already carry the iPhone — by offering a 16-gigabyte iPhone 5 for $99 up front and 20 monthly payments of $20. Preorders for the device will be taken starting April 5. T-Mobile will also carry the iPhone 4S for $70 down and $20 per month for 24 months, and the iPhone 4 for $15 down and $15 per month for 24 months.

Apart from differentiating on price, Macrumors reports that the T-Mobile iPhone will be a slightly modified version of the device produced for AT&T’s network. According to the report, this modified iPhone 5 will “support Advanced Wireless Services (AWS) bands for T-Mobile’s network.” An Apple representative informed Engadget that existing iPhones cannot be updated to support AWS. The modifications to support AWS appear to be hardware-based, and are not possible to implement via a software patch.

First published on http://www.ksl.com/?sid=24563802&nid=1014&title=apple-hd-tv-possible-for-late-2013&fm=home_page&s_cid=queue-1

Apple Rumor Roundup, March 14, 2013

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 15:24:00 -0600

SALT LAKE CITY — With the iPhone 5S approaching and competitors working fiercely to topple its products from the best-seller lists, Apple is working overtime to remain competitive and relevant in 2013.

Rumor: Fingerprint sensor may help secure NFC payments in next iPhone

Apple may be shipping near-field communication (NFC) as part of iOS devices shipping this year, embracing mobile payments and other new consumer-oriented wireless technology. NFC enables a smartphone or other electronic device to function as a digital wallet, enabling consumers to authorize purchases and make payments by tapping their device on a payments terminal.

Security experts, however, have warned that enabling wireless payments could also enable criminals to remotely connect and steal your personal information, making NFC and mobile payments a heated debate between consumer convenience and information security.

Rumors surfaced recently in the China Times, saying that the iPhone 5S will include fingerprint sensing and recognition technologies in order to secure the device from hackers and identity thieves. The report suggests that Apple would use technology from AuthenTec, a company Apple recently acquired. Apple has been quietly selling off some portions of AuthenTec since the acquisition, selling encryption and other general-purpose security patents while retaining its portfolio of fingerprint authentication technologies.

While rumors of an NFC-enabled iPhone have circulated for years, these more recent developments do underscore that Apple may be gearing up for its next major iPhone upgrade.

Rumor: Wireless charging may be coming to an iPhone near you

Digitimes reported that Apple is exploring wireless charging in the iPhone as early as this year. Wireless charging technologies have been on the market for several years, including an accessory for the Palm Pre in 2009, however the technology has not experienced much widespread adoption.

Apple’s Phil Schiller, senior vice president of worldwide marketing, recently discounted wireless charging playing a role in Apple’s product road map. In a report by AllThingsD, “Schiller notes that the wireless charging systems still have to be plugged into the wall, so it’s not clear how much convenience they add. The widely-adopted USB cord, meanwhile, can charge in wall outlets, computers and even on airplanes, he said.”

Seth Weintraub of 9to5mac also discounts the rumor, adding that, “The design changes to the aluminum shell would need to be significant to make wireless charging possible. So, we don’t think this report is accurate.”

Rumor: Apple may offer more dividends, stock buyback

In an exclusive report by Quartz, Apple may be preparing to reward shareholders with additional dividends or a share buyback program. Such a move could be part of a solution to Apple’s cash management “problem,” since the company has a $137.1 billion cash pile that has been growing quickly since the introduction of the iPhone.

Hedge fund manager David Einhorn has been calling for Apple to return some of its accumulated cash to investors, going so far as to file a lawsuit against the company. Einhorn even won an injunction preventing Apple from taking a shareholder vote on a measure that would have limited Apple’s ability to issue preferred shares — another potential vehicle for distributing Apple’s cash back to investors.

Apple CEO Tim Cook commented at the annual shareholders meeting on the lawsuit, saying it was a “silly sideshow” and that Apple was in “very, very active discussions” about how to use its cash pile. Einhorn withdrew his lawsuit on March 1.

Leak: Google Now coming to an App store near you

Finally, a promotional video for Google Now briefly surfaced online before vanishing from YouTube, but not before an Engadget tipster recorded the video and republished online. While it is possible that the video is an elaborate hoax, the voice, animations and content of the video are strikingly similar to the promotional video for Google Now on Android, indicating that a release of Google Now for iOS may be imminent.

Such a move by Google would be interesting, as Google Now has been an exclusive feature to Android smartphones that is even unique to Apple’s Siri. While Siri functions as a digital assistant on recent iOS devices, Google Now offers more complete assistance by analyzing data from the user’s Google account like recent search queries, email messages and other Google-connected content.

Google Now uses this information to guess what a user wants or needs next, and offers “cards” to the user with that information. By expanding Google Now to iOS, Google may be suggesting that gathering more information about its iOS users is more important and valuable than keeping Google Now an exclusive feature to the Android platform.

Given that Google’s mission is to “organize the world’s information,” enabling Google Now for iOS devices may be a better fulfillment of that mission than keeping the product exclusive to the Android marketplace.

Initially posted on KSL.com

Excellent Treehouse Show

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 10:09:40 -0600

Excellent Treehouse Show:

I’m a Treehouse fan, and I love the Treehouse show. Even if you don’t buy a Treehouse subscription, sign up for the Treehouse show. It’s a weekly 10 minute Youtube show with about 7 to 10 links to great web design/development content.

This episode in particular has great links for typography, JQuery, and a guide to copywriting (which is excellent, I might add). Go check it out:

http://blog.teamtreehouse.com/html-progress-element-and-javascript-sliders-treehouse-show-ep-31

Cheap webhosting for your first year!

Sat, 09 Mar 2013 11:31:36 -0700

I’ve got DreamHost webhosting and love it. Great service, great flexibility, and literally unlimited everything (Unlimited disk space, unlimited bandwidth, unlimited domains, unlimited users…).

To sign up, just visit http://www.dreamhost.com/r.cgi?443465 and pick your plan!

They support everything from basic shared hosting all the way to dedicated servers, and they’re behind new cloud technologies like Ceph (aka “roll your own Amazon S3 or EBS”).

Learn the Shadow Dom

Fri, 08 Mar 2013 15:36:18 -0700

Learn the Shadow Dom:

Awesome tool for experimenting with the Shadow Dom. Watch this video too: https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=qnJ_s58ubxg#!

Apple Rumor Roundup, February 27, 2013

Sat, 02 Mar 2013 14:36:04 -0700

SALT LAKE CITY — With anticipation for new iPad and iPhone products mounting, analysts and accessory manufacturers are taking advantage of the hype in creative and even questionable ways.

Patent suggests Apple planning for “smarter” smartphones

A recently filed patent for “an electronic device for predicting or anticipating a user’s operational desires” may reveal other elements of Apple’s future devices.

Other recent patent applications include wearable computers and a network of sensors to track your activity and cater to a users needs as they happen. This new patent compliments these innovations by providing a sort of brain to the myriad sensors and other inputs described in those other patents. The patent describes how a device could predict human behavior by using various sensors and inputs from the user, and then anticipate what a user will do next.

Examples of such use could include switching on the Maps app when the device notices it is in a vehicle, or activating a morning alarm as the sun comes up. One of the primary objectives of the patent is that the device is more proactive in assisting users: instead of waiting for the user to tap on a button, the device knows by context and situational awareness what the user intends to do.

This patent and the other related patents may suggest Apple’s answer to the Google Now product available on some Android smartphones. Google Now uses a cloud-based situational awareness algorithm to analyze recent search queries, sites visited, email content, and other information available to the search giant to predict user behavior and then push contextually aware content and options to the user. In contrast, Apple’s patent suggests that data come from the device itself and possibly other sensors that may be embedded in clothing or other accessories.

This alternate approach would be a better fit for Apple’s position as a company, since Google owns enormous market segments in search, advertising, email and other consumer Internet services. Apple, on the other hand, controls a staggering 20 percent of the consumer electronics market in the United States, which lends itself well to a device-centric, sensor-based approach to determining user intent and context. As these technologies evolve and become increasingly ubiquitous, consumers will benefit from the competition and innovation.

iPad 5 accessories a gamble, reveal possible redesign

MiniSuit, a manufacturer of Apple accessories, has already begun to develop a case for the next iPad, despite not knowing what the next tablet will look like. This new case is based on specifications from a “reliable source”; however, until the iPad 5 and the next version of the iPad mini are officially announced, their plans to mass market the case are not much more than a bet.

Credit: MacRumors

If their case specifications and designs are accurate, though, MiniSuit will beat its competition by several weeks, enjoying “first mover” advantage by selling one of the first cases for the anticipated iPad 5. If not, they will have a lot of useless plastic on their hands.

In any case, the designs by MiniSuit suggest that the new iPad 5 and iPad mini products will be significantly thinner, with smaller side bezels. The microphone, which has been located on the top of the device, has been moved around to the back of the tablet. The smaller bezels and general slimming of the product indicate that the internal structure of the next set of iPads will be redesigned yet again, leveraging thinner display components and smaller chips.

While this rumor is entirely based on the speculation of an accessories manufacturer, they are putting their money where their mouth is and developing product based on a rumor, lending it more credibility than some other rumors.

Apple expands operations in India

Apple is continuing expansion in Asia, and is particularly aggressive in targeting India. Apple recently launched the iTunes store and Apple TV products to Indian consumers, and is expected to add new retail stores and staff to increase market penetration in India’s fast-growing economy.

According to the Wall Street Journal, “Apple is sidestepping wireless carriers to seize greater control over marketing in India and offering no-interest loans to lure lower-income consumers. The company has also boosted staff in India by 30 percent to 170 employees in the past six months. And it is ramping up the introduction of other products, with the Apple TV video-streaming gadget expected to reach stores in coming weeks, people familiar with the matter say.”

Apple has also begun luring lower-income consumers with zero-interest financing deals, helping to curb the sticker price of Apple’s premium products.

Apple does have a long way to go in competing with other handset makers. Samsung presently controls 40 percent of the Indian smartphone market, bolstered by a vast network of 100,000 authorized resellers as well as brand recognition from other consumer electronics and home appliances like microwaves.

Apple presently ranks sixth in smartphone shipments in India, behind Samsung, Sony, Nokia, LG Electronics, and BlackBerry. Some analysts believe Apple’s lag primarily stems from its premium product pricing, which places it out of reach by most consumers in India. While Apple historically has not competed on price, by launching a low-cost version of the iPhone, Apple would be better-equipped to challenge and capture market share from competitors in India and other developing smartphone markets.

Rumored stock split jumps AAPL price, hedge fund manager sells

Douglas Kass, a hedge fund manager and author at The Street, tweeted ”High above the Alps my Gnome is hearing a rumor that Apple will announce a stock split at tomorrow’s shareholder meeting. $AAPL” to more than 55,000 followers on Tuesday, sparking a turnaround in Apple’s stock price which closed 1.4% higher.

Kass’ source, however, remains unknown, and his tweet has come under scrutiny since he proceeded to sell shares in his hedge fund and then claim that the rumor is “baseless”. According to AppleInsider, Jim Cramer, an associate of Kass at The Street, shared in a 2007 interview how hedge fund managers use false information to manipulate stock outcomes.

From the interview, “You can’t create yourself an impression that a stock is down. But you do it anyway because the SEC doesn’t understand it.” “This is actually blatantly illegal, but when you have six days and your company may be in doubt because you are down, I think it is really important to foment.”

A 2:1 stock split would double the number of shares in circulation while cutting the price in half. Although this does nothing to change the overall value of the stock, it can make it more affordable to smaller investors as well as dispel the idea that the stock price is too high. Some analysts have noted that such a split may make the stock more accessible to smaller investors, thus driving the price up as more individuals buy the stock; however, such a move by Apple would be more symbolic than strategic.

Originally posted on KSL.com: http://www.ksl.com/index.php?sid=24233520&nid=1014&title=apple-rumors-smarter-smartphones-and-a-new-ipad-mini

A polymorphism primer

Tue, 19 Feb 2013 13:50:00 -0700

Poly means many. Morph means form. Poly+morphism = “Many Forms”

Polymorphism is a key concept in object-oriented design and programming. While this little article isn’t about everything to do with polymorphism, it does talk about a couple of key components:

Inheritance

Inheritance is used when defining classes. When you make a class in Java, you can tell it that it extends from a superclass. For example, if we have ClassB and it extends from ClassA, then ClassB has its own methods, instance variables, and other elements. It also posesses everything built into ClassA. You can say that “it is” a class A.

A more clear example of inheritance comes from the real world: We all know what a tree is, but a pine tree is very different from a palm tree. Both are trees (“A pine tree is a tree” and “A palm tree is a tree” are both true statements), but a pine tree is not a palm tree. Trees in general have a trunk, they have bark, and you can sit under them and get shade (my rough attempt at describing a method that could exist on a tree).

Strictly speaking, we can’t create an instance of just a Tree. It’s abstract, or a class of objects that don’t really exist in the world, but do exist conceptually. It is useful to know what all trees have in common, but you’ll only ever work with concrete types of trees. There are dozens of types trees that inherit from our abstract tree (Pine, Fir, Palm, Coconut, Spruce, etc.). There are also other abstract trees that descend from our generic Tree class like Deciduous or Evergreen (You don’t have an instance of a Deciduous tree, but you do have an instance of an Aspen, which is a deciduous tree).

In Java, you declare inheritance like this:

public abstract class Tree {
    public int barkThickness = 0; 
    public int height = 0; // In meters

    public void sitInShade() {
        // Do something to sit in shade...
    }

    Tree(int height, int barkThickness) {
        this.height = height;
        this.barkThickness = barkThickness;
    }
}

public abstract class DeciduousTree extends Tree {

    DeciduousTree(int height, int barkThickness, Boolean losingLeaves) {
        super(height, barkThickness);
        this.losingLeaves = losingLeaves;
    }

    public int numberOfLeaves = 0;
    public Boolean losingLeaves = false; 
}

public class QuakingAspen extends DeciduousTree {
    QuakingAspen(int height, int barkThickness) {
        super(height, barkThickness);
    }

    public void sitInShade() {
        if (this.numberOfLeaves < 100) {
            System.out.println("Sorry, it doesn't have enough leaves!");
        } else {
            super();
        }
    }
}

public abstract class EvergreenTree extends Tree {
    protected int numberOfNeedles = 0;

    EvergreenTree(int height, int barkThickness) {
        super(height, barkThickness);
    }
}

public class BlueSpruce extends EvergreenTree {
    public String stateTreeOf = "Utah";
}

The above is clearly a contrived example, and it’s not particularly useful. But it does illustrate how a subclass like DeciduousTree can override constructors and even other methods. In a nutshell, a subclass gets to enjoy everything that is provided by its superclass including methods, instance variables and even constructors. This is inheritance.

Scope

Scope is an important piece of object oriented programming. We’ve all seen public, protected, and private. This is called scope, and it is used to control access by other classes and subclasses to methods and instance variables.

public indicates that a given method or instance variable can be accessed from anywhere. Other classes and methods anywhere in the program can access the specified method and variable. You’ll notice that by default our getter/setter methods are public, whereas our instance variables are almost always private or protected.
protected indicates that a given method or instance variable can be accessed by subclasses, but not by other classes. Referring to our tree example, an instance of QuakingAspen can’t access or manipulate the instance variable numberOfNeedles on an instance of BlueSpruce. The BlueSpruce class (or any other subclass of EvergreenTree) can see and access this variable.
private indicates that a given method or instance variable can be accessed only by the class where it is defined. Even subclasses can’t access this. You’ll notice that our BusinessObjectDAO singleton method getInstance() can create an instance of BusinessObjectDAO, but no one else can - BusinessObjectDAO has a private constructor. Even if you wrote MyCoolDAO and had it extend BusinessObjectDAO, it could not instantiate itself because its superclass BusinessObjectDAO does not have a public constructor. Another way to think about public, protected, and private is if you drew a couple rows and columns on a piece of paper, where each cell is a class that extends from the cell above it (the cells at the top don’t extend anything). public methods and instance variables are accessible from any cell on the grid. protected methods and instance variables are accessible from only cells above it in the same column (i.e. they inherit it from their superclass).

Overriding methods

Part of polymorphism is that subclasses can override superclass methods. This happens by default with a constructor: you will always have a subclass constructor if there is a constructor defined in the superclass. Any other public or protected method can be overridden as well. This overriding for almost all methods (except constructors) can completely ignore the super methods or they can call them (in Java, using the super() method). See the example sitInShade() in the QuakingAspen and Tree classes for an example of how overriding can happen.

Interfaces

Finally, an interface is a type of class that defines method signatures that other classes can implement. Here’s an example interface:

public interface SampleInterface {

    public void doSomething(String newParam);

    public void doSomethingElse();
}

Nothing too fancy, just a declaration of method signatures. Then, if a class wishes to implement this interface, it simply says it should and then implements the methods described in the interface:

public class Sample implements SampleInterface {

    public Sample() {
        // TODO Auto-generated constructor stub
    }

    @Override
    public void doSomething(String newParam) {
        // TODO Auto-generated method stub

    }

    @Override
    public void doSomethingElse() {
        // TODO Auto-generated method stub

    }

}

Note that abstract classes do not have to implement the method signatures, they just have to say what interfaces are implemented. Subclasses will then be required to implement those interfaces as well.

Interfaces are useful because they define common, shared behavior that may be common among many classes but those clases may not inherit from the same parent. Some common interfaces include networking and other server methods which are necessary for enabling communication, but do not require a commonly shared superclass.

Conclusion

Polymorphism is a fundamental to object oriented programming. By creating a structure of superclasses and subclasses, overriding methods and variables, and developing interfaces for common shared functionality, system designers can improve the maintainability and usefulness of their systems while writing less code and reusing common code more efficiently.

Upgrading PHPMyAdmin in MAMP

Sat, 16 Feb 2013 13:27:36 -0700

I’ve recently been doing a lot of work using MySQL and Java for school. MAMP does a great job containing all the stuff you need to run PHP, MySQL, Java, etc. in one system. Unfortunately, MAMP hasn’t seen a major update in some time, especially when it comes to MySQL. Fortunately, it’s really easy to upgrade MySQL in MAMP.

Download the latest version of PHPMyAdmin from their website.
Unpack the archive you get
Navigate to /Applications/MAMP/bin
Rename the existing phpMyAdmin folder to something else (like phpMyAdmin.old)
Move the unpacked folder you downloaded into /Applications/MAMP/bin
Rename it to be phpMyAdmin (or, if your original PHPMyAdmin folder was named differently, then use that name instead)
Visit http://localhost/phpMyAdmin to see your new installation!

Voila! You are now running the latest version of PHPMyAdmin! Not too hard, was it?

Apple Rumor Roundup, February 14th, 2013

Sat, 16 Feb 2013 13:22:27 -0700

SALT LAKE CITY — Various reports of a smartwatch surfaced this week, pointing the way to Apple’s next “big thing.”

iWatch

Bloomberg reports that approximately 100 people are developing an “iWatch,” including employees from marketing, software and hardware development for the iPhone and iPad. The New York Times also issued a report referring to two people familiar with the project. “Apple is experimenting with wristwatch-like devices made of curved glass.”

In addition to frequent rumors and tips about a smartwatch, Eric Migicovsky, CEO of Pebble, declined to comment on a potential buyout by Apple. Pebble builds customizable smartwatches and executed the most successful Kickstarter campaign in history, raising more than $10 million within one month.

Apple’s CEO, Tim Cook, said last year that while Apple does make regular acquisitions, “We’re disciplined and thoughtful, and we don’t feel a pressure to go out and acquire revenue. We want to make great products.”

4.8-inch iPhone 6

Amid rumors of the smartwatch, reports of the iPhone 6 are also on the horizon. Jefferies analyst Peter Misek said that while Apple had planned a summer 2014 launch of a larger 4.8-inch iPhone 6, pressure to recapture market share lost to other smartphone manufacturers was sufficient to accelerate Apple’s timeline to an October 2013 launch. He said ”Apple’s suppliers are running into difficulties trying to scale the screen size from 4 inches to 4.8 inches.”

While Apple CEO Tim Cook defended the 4-inch screen of the iPhone 5 during his most recent earnings call, Misek said Cook did so “to avoid freezing iPhone shipments in the quarters before a 4.8.” With increasing pressure from Samsung and other smartphone makers, Misek suggested Apple intends to move to larger display sizes and possibly even OLED displays to compete.

His point about OLED display use, however, contradicts a statement by Cook at Goldman Sach’s Internet and Technology Conference on Tuesday, when he discounted OLED displays, saying, “You should really think twice before you depend on the color from an OLED display.”

AppleTV developer event

In addition to reports on iPhones and OLED displays, Misek also reported that “Channel checks indicate Apple has a product event in March that is Apple-TV related.”

His report specifically linked this event with the introduction of an iTV SDK, or software developer kit, which would enable app developers to create and distribute apps for an ever-rumored iTV device — an integrated Apple TV and HD television unit under the Apple brand.

According to Misek’s report, “We think a Sept./Oct. iTV launch is being targeted.” Industry analysts and Apple fans have anticipated an iTV product for years, looking forward to how the product could revolutionize our living rooms in the same way that iPhones, iPads and iPods transformed cellphones, computing and music.

While rumors of such a device have been in circulation for some time, recent reports may be indicating that the iTV is indeed on the horizon.

TV-maker Loewe buyout rumors

From a Wednesday Reuters report, “Shares in German luxury TV maker Loewe surged on talk of a bid from Apple.”

According to the article, rumors of an Apple buyout began circulating in May last year, however no concrete evidence is available to suggest that bid has been made for the company. A spokesman for Loewe said it was unaware of any offer by Apple, and Apple declined comment on the matter.

Loewe suffered significant losses in 2012, reporting a net loss of 29 million euros. To cut costs, the company is reportedly laying off approximately 200 employees.

Patents point to future

While many technology patents go into dusty portfolios and are never fully used, recent patents filed by Apple indicate Apple may be aiming to build a wearable computing platform built around wireless sensing and monitoring.

According to AppleInsider, the provisional patent filings in question have been awarded rights to continuation under the title “Personal items network, and associated methods.” It refers to dozens of prior filings, including several from 2001.

The patents in question describe movement monitoring devices, event monitoring devices and the interactions between these devices and a broader hardware and software platform. From the article, these devices “can monitor and enhance activities and live broadcasts of Nascar races, marathons, rodeos, bike races, and extreme sports. They could also be applied to body armor and used for weight monitoring.”

Apple was also awarded another patent on Tuesday for “Microslot antennas for electronic devices.” According to this patent, components required for wireless communications could become drastically smaller, paving the way for smaller, thinner, and lighter laptops, smartphones, and (of course) iWatches.

Given the wireless nature of virtually all new consumer technologies, this technology will contribute to Apple’s famously thin form factors, enabling designers to craft thinner and more natural-feeling devices.

[Originally published on KSL.com]